Defenders Annual #1

Review: A complicated wrap up to a number of complicated plot threads with the Nebulon and Headmen stories coming to a, er, head. In France, the Bozeaux are protesting a major corporation and guillotining straw dummies while in India, baddies are shrinking people to curb overpopulation (wait, wasn’t that DOWNSIZING (2017?)), and then Jack Norriss plays James Bond while Dr. Strange kidnaps the real-life President to outer space. And then they all end up in an ant farm, while the Headmen weirdos cackle. Then Hulk smashes, setting everyone free, the goodies beat the baddies and Nebulon gets fed up and leaves, lasting longer than some of this comic’s readers. Big Question: What happens to President Ford? We don’t see him after the heroes are snatched from the White House lawn. Bigger Question: Why do the French people speak French and some broken English but the people of India all speak perfect English?

Comments: Concludes the story arc begun in DEFENDERS #31-35. Valkyrie is wearing the golden costume Clea gave her in issue #40. The story mentions Werner Erhard and the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, leaders of self-actualizing movements similar to Nebulon’s CMC. Jack mentions a Bicentennial quarter: in 1976, the USA issued quarters with reverses featuring a military drummer celebrating the 200^th anniversary of the nation’s founding. The US President is clearly Gerald R. Ford, who occupied the office in the real world August 1974-January 1977.